MOON
by xXUsEdXx
Summary: "I protected you...finally, I did something right."


_My first SAO one shot. Sorry if Kirito seems a little OOC-I just got into the series, so his character is something I need to familiarize with._

* * *

_I'll give you a gentle song_

_So that you can believe in eternity for ever_

_So please don't ask me anymore_

_With such sad eyes, in a trembling voice_

_ "Do you love me?"_

* * *

Floor 55 was freezing. In a way, it was more than satisfactory for Illana, as she tried to see if needed to cry. She endured a couple of heaves, but no tears had fallen from her eyes. She had lost one of her familiars, but it was more than that. She had lost something far more precious…

With a sigh, she sunk on her knees into the snow, feeling the cold seep as though she was home. She hated the snow in the real world. In Aincrad, she never felt happier to see it and feel it again.

Distantly, she heard a shrill roar and raised her head up to the sky to see the dragon landing before her upon a crystal, intimidating, looming. It glared into her light green eyes and Illana felt a buzzing in her limbs. "I see," she murmured softly. "You're alone too, aren't you…?"

The dragon bowed its magnificent head to her, within fingertips reach. Illana reached for it, her fingers brushing against ice-cold scales. She could feel tears loading up in her eyes before she bowed her head before her new familiar. "We'll both be alone here…"

* * *

"No one knows where she's gone?"

Lisbeth shook her head. Asuna and Kirito had come into her shop looking for Illana. No one knew where to disappeared to or why. "Did something happen?" asked Lisbeth softly. "Something happened that made her disappear?"

"I don't know," Kirito answered. "She had come with Asuna after the thing with Kuradeel, and the next thing I know she's gone."

"She didn't…she didn't die, did she?" Asuna asked, her voice soft with anxiety, raising a hand to her mouth. Kirito felt his blood run cold at that. "We should check to see if she's…" he trailed off. Asuna wasted no time in opening her menu and going to her friends list, her eyes scanning the list for Illana's name before she sighed. "She's still on my friends list…so she must be alive," she said.

"We should go find her," Kirito told Asuna. "She could be in trouble."

"Let me know if you find her?" asked Lisbeth worriedly.

"Same to you, if she comes by," Asuna responded, taking Lisbeth's hand and squeezing it. When they left Lisbeth's shop, Kirito looked to Asuna. "Let's split up to look for her."

Asuna nodded. "Okay. Be careful, Kirito."

"I will."

* * *

Illana had her eyes closed as she lay in the snow, letting it soak into her hair as she watched the sky. The dragon was relaxed, it's large body curled around her. She raised her hand to the sky, to see if she could reach a star. But she couldn't reach. She dropped her hand to the side, feeling snow between her fingers. Her heart thumped painfully, and she raised her snow-covered hand to rest over her chest. _Kirito…_

"Illana! Illana, are you here?"

_That voice…_Illana opened her eyes and pushed herself upright, her dark hair falling limply past her shoulders. Her dragon raised its head and roared.

She recognized the gleam of the sword that was drawn, recognized the voice that called to her. Illana stood up. "What are you doing here, Kirito?" she asked.

"I can ask you the same thing," Kirito answered, approaching cautiously in case the dragon attacked. "What are you doing here? And near the dragon?"

"Haruka is my new familiar," Illana said, looking up at the dragon, her eyes dimming. "He came to me when I first arrived here—both of us being lonely souls in this stupid world."

"Why here, of all places?"

"It's not your business."

"Illana-"

"Go away, Kirito."

Kirito gripped the hilt of his sword when Illana sank back down into the snow, her hand reaching for the dragon, which bowed his head so she could stroke it. What surprised him then, that made his sheath his sword, were the crystalline tears falling from Illana's eyes. Realizing he was still present, she tried to glare at him. "I said go away!"

"Why are you crying?" Kirito asked, walking forward resolutely. In no time he was in front of Illana and her dragon didn't attack him—yet. Illana didn't meet his eyes, but her tears didn't stop falling nor did she answer him. Kirito heaved a sigh. "Illana-"

"Do you love Asuna, Kirito?" Illana whispered, her eyes on the ground.

"What does that have to do with anything?"

"Just answer me. Do you?" She looked at him with her eyes shining with unshed tears. It tore his heart in half to see Illana cry like this. But he couldn't lie to her, not when he knew the reason she was asking this hard question of him.

"Yes."

Illana closed her eyes as more tears spilled down her cheeks and she looked away. "That's what I thought," she whispered. "Just leave me alone, Kirito."

"No. You've worried everyone enough when you disappeared."

"Leave me alone!" she screamed.

Her familiar roared, its wings spreading as its aura suddenly became hostile the moment its master cracked. Illana felt its wings sweep around her as it took flight. She closed her eyes, feeling the sting of cold air and she could hear it—Kirito unsheathing his sword and clashing with Haruka, the dragon roaring angrily. She opened her eyes; taking out the only weapon she had—a small dagger Lisbeth custom-made for her—she got to her feet and ran past her attacking dragon and Kirito.

"Illana!" Kirito called after her as soon as she reached her destination—Haruka's nest. Illana turned to look at her and Kirito could see the gleam of her blade and a fresh batch of tears that fell from her eyes when she aimed it over her heart. "Illana…don't do it!" he yelled.

He saw Illana shut her eyes, stepping backward to the edge of the hole, and fluidly—with the uncanny accuracy he'd seen Illana possess—plunged the blade to the hilt into her chest. She stumbled backwards, falling as though in slow motion—

"_**ILLANA!**_"

Kirito's eyes flew open, his breath coming out in all the wrong patterns. He shot up, feeling sweat run down his face, his heart thundering loudly. He quickly opened his menu and went through his friends list, his eyes scanning for Illana's name, his dread intensifying when he didn't see her name. _Illana…!_

"Kirito?" Asuna's voice broke through his frantic thoughts from beside him and he turned his head to look at the orange-haired girl he fell in love with. "Are you okay?" she asked.

"I…" Kirito paused briefly before he decided to continue. "What happened to Illana?"

Asuna's features fell into the expression of one about to convey bad news. "Kirito…Illana-chan…don't you remember?"

"Remember?"

"After what happened with Kuradeel…Illana saved us both…she…" Asuna's eyes filled with tears. "She pushed you back and Kuradeel…he…"

Kirito's eyes widened as memories flooded back into him from that battle. Asuna had healed him with a healing crystal and, angered, she took on Kuradeel until he feigned surrender. Then…

"_Kirito! Asuna!"_

Illana…he remembered that she moved in front of him when he moved to protect Asuna. She didn't think twice, just jumped in between Kuradeel and Kirito, Kuradeel killing her with how close in range in she was.

_She never left for Floor 55…she died for us…_he thought with a lance of pain shooting through his heart. _Why would she—_

His mind flashed-

_Asuna had screamed. Kirito felt himself get shoved back before the blade was brought down. _

_ Illana 's hands were outstretched, Kuradeel's sword piercing her back. She was smiling, tears coursing down her face. "I protected you...finally, I did something right," she whispered. Kuradeel wrenched the blade deeper, the point bursting from Illana's heart. Illana's eyes widened when he tore the blade from her back and she fell forward to Kirito's arms, her body pixelating and disappearing before they made contact. Asuna was screaming her name. "Illana-chan!"_

_ Rage consumed him—so Kirito killed Kuradeel for Asuna and for Illana. Both he and Asuna fell to their knees, Asuna in tears. Not even a moment afterward, he had kissed Asuna, conveying everything he wanted to say to her. _

_That dream…were you trying to say you died for us, Illana? Or was it because of…me? _Thought Kirito with another pang of guilt shooting through him. Illana knew his experience with the guild, with Sachi, everything. She was there for him since they met—which ironically enough was after he saw everyone in the guild die. He didn't tell her exactly what happened, but as intuitive as Illana was, she pieced it together. Illana, however, was an open book to him. She wasn't always a solo Beast Tamer; she had a partner, who was a swordsman as well. She carried guilt in her conscious as well.

"_I couldn't protect him. So I promise to protect you, Kirito, and everything that becomes important to you." _

"She protected me because I was important to her. She protected you because you're important to me," Kirito told Asuna. "I...did nothing except watch her die."

"_We_," Asuna corrected him, taking his hand. "_We _watched her die, Kirito. Illana died, saving us both. I don't think she'd have want us to be sad."

She was right. Illana would have been mad as hell if they mourned her forever. Kirito sighed and wrapped his arms around Asuna, pulling her against him and closing his eyes. Illana gave her life to protect them. They could honor her memory by getting out of this game once and for all.


End file.
